The Lagos chapter of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has wrapped up the screening of aspirants vying for elective offices on the party’s platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, with governorship hopeful Prince Laja Adeoye and 67 other contenders getting the nod.
Chairman of the party’s screening committee in the state, Mr Abiodun Abari, disclosed this shortly after the exercise held in Lagos on Saturday.
Abari explained that the five-member panel screened Adeoye, the party’s sole consensus governorship aspirant, alongside candidates seeking senatorial, House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly tickets.
According to him, the committee assessed three senatorial aspirants, 24 House of Representatives hopefuls and 40 Assembly aspirants.
He noted that every aspirant scaled through the process successfully and would later emerge as consensus candidates during the party primaries.
“The screening went in accordance with the party guidelines seamlessly. We were able to screen and clear all the aspirants because the party was able to arrive at consensus for all the positions.
“The quality assurance process we carried out has become very important because the intention is to ensure the party puts its best forward for the forthcoming elections.
“Only the quality aspirants were presented as consensus candidates, and this made our job very easy.
“We need this because we want to serve Lagos residents and ensure it is the best we present to serve the people,” he said.
Abari admitted that forging consensus among aspirants was initially an uphill task but credited the achievement to unity among party leaders and members.
“Consensus was not quite easy but because of the unity of purpose that we have in the party, this was done and all the aspirants were cleared.
“Other aspirants decided to sacrifice their ambition for the greater good of the party and the state.
“We should not forget that the PDP mainstream is using the APM platform under the PDP-APM coalition formed for the forthcoming election,” he said.
The screening committee chairman further declared that the alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM had repositioned the party as a major opposition force in Lagos politics ahead of 2027.
“With the alliance, the APM has become the main opposition in Lagos State for the 2027 election.
“This is the party to watch out for. This is the real alternative party for the people. We want all our aspirants to go all out and bring everyone back to the fold under this alliance,” Abari said.
Reacting after his clearance, Adeoye said he had satisfied all legal and electoral requirements expected of governorship aspirants under the Electoral Act and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“In accordance with the Nigerian Electoral Act and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), I appeared today for the Lagos State Governorship screening of the APM.
“I successfully presented all required credentials and submitted my duly completed Governorship Nomination Form for Lagos State.
“This marks another important milestone in our journey to reset Lagos,” Adeoye said.
